The recession seems to have accelerated a shift in housing preferences that was already underway among much of the American public and developers are apparently ready to capitalize.

According to a report by the Urban Land Institute and PriceWaterhouseCoopers large-lot single-family dwellings in sprawling suburbs have lost much of their appeal to more compact housing in mixed-use centers. Builders and developers are adjusting to fit these changing preferences.

Also Andres Duany and Jeff Speck authors of The Smart Growth Manual recently wrote an opinion piece in The Washington Post illustrating why the growth of sustainable development will improve health the environment and overall quality of life.